Forever Odd (Audiobook)

The second novel in the Odd Thomas series zips along at a breakneck pace. If you haven’t read the first novel, aptly named Odd Thomas, you may find it hard to keep up. Koontz doesn’t spend a lot of time recapping the events of the first novel or reintroducing us to Odd, his companions, or the fictional California town of Pico Mundo, where they all reside. He assumes we know all of that already and gets right to the story at hand. This isn’t to say you wouldn’t enjoy the second novel if you haven’t read the first. It just means that you may have a harder time understanding Odd and his loss, the core of who he is now.

I’m grateful to Koontz for jumping right into the story. I’m sure he could have spent more time explaining the first novel in a way that would seem natural and unobtrusive, but I’m glad he didn’t. I already love Odd. I’m already rooting for him. I don’t need another introductory chapter like we had in the first novel to be captivated.

As for the story, Forever Odd is a wonderfully enthralling supernatural thriller that measures up in action to the first. Odd’s friend has been kidnapped, and Odd must use his psychic magnetism to find and rescue him. I won’t reveal who the villain is, but suffice it say it’s a creepy villain indeed.

I particularly enjoyed the setting of the novel; Koontz puts most of the action in underground drainage tunnels and an abandoned casino long destroyed by fire. Following Odd as he trudges through dark caverns or scales empty elevator shafts was a fun ride indeed.

Forever Odd lacks the emotional punch of the first novel. This isn’t a complaint, just an observation. Had the humble fry cook experienced another loss as great as the first, I would have been too traumatized to continue with the series. As it is, I’m ready and eager for book three.